Is a ‘playboy gene’ to blame for cheating?

This could explain a thing or two about Rep. Anthony Weiner. (Getty Images)

Cheating might be a genetic trait, like brown eyes or curled-up toes.

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests promiscuity could be a hereditary condition that benefits a species by ensuring genetic diversity.

I’d like to hear a philanderer– perhaps the nation’s next disgraced politician — try to explain away infidelities with that excuse.

The study didn’t have humans in mind; it revolved around mostly-monogamous birds. But scientists say their findings could have meaningful implications for how we see promiscuity among people, too.

“Applying this result to humans is both thought-provoking and dangerous,” one researcher told Discovery News. “(But it) does make one consider the possibility with more seriousness than before.”

Discovery News has more:

For the study, the scientists studied the behavior of 1,554 zebra finches from five consecutive generations. During one experiment, the researchers analyzed the DNA of some adult bird parents.

The scientists then took the eggs of those parents and placed them in the nests of other individuals. Fostering of unrelated offspring occurs naturally among these birds, but only about 15 percent of the time.

The scientists next analyzed the DNA of the offspring, comparing each young bird’s genetic profile with that of the adults. The genetic analysis not only indicated birth family connections, but there was also a strong noticeable genetic correlation between both male and female measurements of extra-pair mating behavior.

Scientists concluded the birds couldn’t have learned the behavior, since they were raised away from their parents.